Justice League of Hope: Local Superheroes Save The Day
Originally published in the Winter 2019-2020 issue of Spoke+Blossom
A group of local superheroes is saving the day for families in need this Christmas. The Justice League of Hope provides toys and financial help for families living in poverty during the holidays. The league’s mission is to create “unbreakable smiles” by dressing up as superheroes and visiting children in hospitals and at birthday parties, as well as sponsoring families at Christmas time.
“Justice League of Hope is a group of individuals who never really grew up and still enjoy dressing up like superheroes, but we do it for a good cause,” says Chris DeLeon, president of Justice League of Hope. “What the Justice League of Hope does is provide this nice, awesome, superhero Christmas for the children and give them presents that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to get. But for the parents, we give them hope as well. We look at what the parents’ needs are so they can be taken care of, too. That includes food for their kitchens, utility help, if that’s what they need — anything that can stop them from becoming homeless or having a utility shut off.” DeLeon dresses up as Superman and occasionally Batman, depending on the season.
DeLeon grew up idolizing Superman. When he met his now-wife, Jeanie, the couple dubbed themselves Superman and Wonder Woman from the beginning. When the two tied the knot in marriage, they did it in their superhero costumes at their superhero-themed wedding. A few months later, they wore those same costumes to the 2018 Mesa County Libraries Comic Con, where they discovered Justice League of Hope for the first time and knew they had to get involved. They reached out to the group’s founder, Dave Brock, and the rest is history.
For one family in Grand Junction, Christmas came early this year thanks to the Justice League of Hope. Most of the time, families helped by the group receive their gifts just a few days before Christmas. But for this family, the clock was ticking toward homelessness. A single mother who supports not only her own children, but also her sister and her children, was facing eviction after falling behind on bills. She confided this to a coworker who reached out to the league for help.
“If we’d waited until Christmas, sure, the kids would have gotten really cool toys, but it wouldn’t have changed the fact that they would have been on the streets. So, when we found out that she was going to be evicted, we stepped in and gave her $900, making sure that she was going to have a home and so these children could continue to have a roof over their head. She just broke down in tears. She didn’t think that there was any hope. Since then, it’s been wonderful for her, because just giving her that reset allowed her to actually catch up on things. By Christmas time, we’re able to also give some cool toys to the kids, and we know those kids are going home into a warm, safe environment,” DeLeon says.
That family is just one of the families given a hand up by the league this holiday season. The group plans to provide up to $1,000 of hope for at least 15 families this Christmas.
“We have a list of families; we’re going to be doing some amazing things,” DeLeon says. “This year, we’re really trying to step in and provide a lot of help for these families.”
“The best part of doing this is the smiles on children’s faces. Our catchphrase is ‘unbreakable smiles,’ and it’s perfect. When you see that child’s eyes light up when they see you, they’re not seeing some guy dressed up as Superman, because they haven’t become cynical yet. They’re still young and full of imagination and wonder. And to them, Superman just walks through the door specifically to see them, and I don’t even know if there’s proper words for how it moves me just to see their eyes and to see their smiles — to know that just for that moment, they’re just immersed in this world of fantasy and joy. And to be able to be a part of that is extremely humbling and extremely moving. When we’re able to have that experience with the children, I can’t think of anything better than that,” DeLeon says.
The Justice League of Hope is fully funded by community donations. Donate by reaching out to the Justice League of Hope GJ Facebook page or follow the page to learn about upcoming donation drive events.
Photo courtesy Justice League of Hope.